The present invention refers broadly to high-quality multi-impression systems and more particularly to a procedure for the repetitive printing of checks and other documents in runs responding to different contents and pressruns and to the machine used in said procedure.
In present printing techniques, the printing of documents does not entail inconveniences even when a given document may appear to have a difficult composition. The document can be printed either in typography, gravure, planography, lithography, phototype or offset in accordance with requirements such as quality, speed, press-runs, monoor polychromatic printing.
Four color process printing is usually carried out by means of a continuous train of impression rollers fed by different fountains through inking rollers, in order to print several tones in only one run, although not simultaneously.
The condition is this type of printer is that the number of data, texts or other printable elements must respond to a like number of repetitive compositions to allow same to be produced simultaneously.
However, some printings require a composition having texts or fields submitted to different pressruns, ranging from a high-run printing to a printing destined for an individual or small number of documents. For instance checks, deposit or withdrawal tickets, nominal shares, etc fall into this category.
In the above type of documents, the printings corresponding to each run can be identified and grouped in three types constituting three basic sets, i.e.:
a. Sets of documents having impressions which are repetitive and common to all, such as security backgrounds and those corresponding to letter-heads of companies or banks including their logotype, isotype or isologotype. PA0 b. Sets of documents having semi-repetitive impressions common to some such as main offices or branches, payment address, individualization of account holder and account number; and PA0 c. Sets of documents having particular impressions which are not repetitive and different, such as the number of each check, ticket or share, as well as information and magnetic reading strips.
Although, as stated hereinbefore, documents and printable material may be of any type or nature, in order to provide a clear interpretation and development of this invention reference shall be made exclusively to the printing of checks, it being understood that the latter is by way of example only, does not constitute a limitation in the scope of the invention and that the description of the characteristics in the printing of checkbooks is equally valid for any other type of documents with the corresponding adaptation of diagrams and composition.
With reference to the above described three types of printings as regards checks, it can be appreciated that each banking entity must print large amounts of checks bearing its identification and security background common to all checks printed for the same bank (for instance a pressrun of 1,000,000 basic printings for a set described in c. above).
However, it is not possible to incorporate in said basic printing other data, such as that described in point b above, because for instance the payment varies for each branch, as well as the code number identifying the latter and establishing the type of clearance it employs. Consequently, the original pressrun must be subdivided by branches, the data and clearing of which is to be printed simultaneously with the printing of the account holder's name and account number in response to the requests of each branch. For instance, if account holder "NN" has requested two checkbooks with 50 checks each, 100 personalized checks must be printed together with the data of the branch (payment address, code numbers, etc.) (set b.).
However, it is not possible to print in said pressrun the check number and the magnetic reading strip because said data vary with each individual check and this printing is not repetitive (set c.).
Accordingly, in what concerns the personalization of documents for set b. and set c., it is not possible to utilize the traditional high-quality printing procedures such as offset, because there is a requirement for a correlative numerical sequence printing to be repeated on the stub of each check. In turn, the magnetic strip requires a sequential printing with magnetic ink having a standardized content (numerical data corresponding to the bank and/or branch, account number and check number) and also a standardized design and printing manner in order to permit a direct visual reading as well as an electronic reading by conventional electronic systems (CMC7 or E13B, for instance).
Consequently, in order to carry out limited run printings, there is a need to utilize low-quality procedures such as impactprinting and typing transference inking tapes, which limits the impression spectrum as graphics and design printing cannot be used. In addition, said low-quality procedures produce low-quality results increased by virtue of the contrast with the basic printing, and also produce typographic misalignments and are susceptible to alterations by scraping or erasing which infringes security principles governing this type of document.
The personalization of checks having differentiated and non-repetitive impressions could not be carried out with high-quality procedures, such as offset or impression transference, because the high cost of plate matrixes and the complications involved in assembling and disassembling said plates for limited or unitary impressions renders uneconomical said procedures. In addition, the considerable time involved in such operations would diminish printing capacity to a large extent.